[Viral loads in pediatric HIV patients with antiretroviral treatment].
BACKGROUND
Viral load in pediatric patients with HIV infections can help to make therapeutic decisions to modify the evolution of the disease.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate viral load in positive HIV children with antiretroviral treatment.


METHODS
Viral load was measured every six months during three years in fifty pediatric patients chosen randomly in aged 1 to 12 years, using the Test Monitor HIV-1 AMPLICOR, version 1.5.


RESULTS
During the three years follow up, there was an increase in CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte count and decrease in the viral load. However, there was no significant relationship between lymphocyte subpopulation counts and viral loads.


CONCLUSIONS
Viral load demonstrated to be an appropriate method to quantify plasma HIV-RNA. This tool can help to define the condition of a particular patient to predict clinical course of the disease and to assess the response to the treatment.
Porto-Espinoza
Leticia
L
Laboratorio Regional de Referencia Virológica, Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. letiporto@yahoo.com
Moronta
Reyna
R
Cuadra-Sánchez
César
C
Callejas-Valero
Diana
D
Costa-León
Luciana
L
Monsalve-Castillo
Francisca
F
Bernardoni
Cecilia
C
Estévez
Jesús
J
D017677:Age Distribution; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014687:Venezuela; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents